Is it possible to add another software, that will run alongside a ePOS system that is already using the barcode scanner hardware?

Question

Basically, i'm trying to figure out if you can add a software to run alongside an already installed POSs, that can also access the barcode scanner?

Does it depend on whom the POSs has been installed with?

Please help!

Answer 1

I'm pretty new in this area, but I know that UPOS has the concept of Sharable Devices, multiple apps can use the device in this case.

Some devices are sharable devices. An example is the keylock. A sharable device allows multiple Control instances to call its methods and access its properties. Also, it may deliver its events to multiple Controls. A sharable device may still limit access to some methods or properties to the Control that has claimed it, or it may deliver some events only to the Control that has claimed it.

https://www.omg.org/retail/unified-pos.htm

Answer 2

@Rachel McConnell,

It is certainly possible for two applications to use the barcode scanner if neither application holds an exclusive claim on the device when it is not actively using the hardware, however many POS applications assume they are the only application using the hardware.

If both applications are using Windows.Devices.PointofService, there is a negotiation process built into the platform that requires the application with an active claim to respond with a retain() to keep the claim if a second application requests a claim. If the first application does not respond with a retain() in a matter of seconds, the claim is revoked and given to the second application. I do not believe other UnifiedPOS implementations provide similar capabilities.

For more information, see: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/devices-sensors/pos-basics-claim

Hope this helps

Terry Warwick, Microsoft